The Democratic National Committee (DNC) could formally nominate Joe Biden as its presidential candidate as early as July 21, aiming to put an end to speculation of a possible replacement in the wake of the incumbent’s lackluster performance in a recent TV debate with Republican rival Donald Trump.
The Democrats had already planned to nominate Biden before their August convention, but the proposed “fortuitous” timing will allow the party to “stamp out intra-party chatter of replacing him” and to “further coalesce around their nominee even as insiders call for him to step aside for a new candidate after his rocky June 27 debate performance,” Bloomberg reported on Monday, citing people familiar with the matter.
The DNC is set to hold several committee meetings between July 16-21 to finalize the rules and procedures for a virtual vote. Speaking to Fox News, two Democratic sources also confirmed July 21 as the potential date, which would be just three days after Trump is expected to receive his party’s nomination.
This election cycle’s first faceoff between Trump and Biden took place last Thursday in Atlanta, Georgia. Political observers have widely agreed that the 81-year-old Biden failed to counter the perception that he has neither the energy nor mental acuity to lead the country for four more years.
The president’s team explained his failure in the debate by saying he had a cold, was over-prepared, and that CNN moderators did not fact-check claims by Trump. When asked by journalists last week if Biden was planning to step aside, his campaign replied “of course not.”
Some Democrats have since, either publicly or in private communications with journalists, said Biden should end his campaign after his dismal performance. Reports have also emerged that some Democratic donors are insisting that Biden be dropped as the party’s nominee for the November 5 election.
On Friday, Axios published the results of a poll by Morning Consult, which suggested that 60% of voters believe that Biden should “definitely” or “probably” be replaced as the Democratic presidential nominee.
However, the US president’s family, who reportedly are among the few who could convince him to quit, urged him to stay in the race during a meeting on Sunday, CNN sources have claimed.